Writing a book is hard.
If you've ever attempted, you know this already. There's endless factors to consider; writing style, world building, characters, plotting. It's chaos.
But when you get a spectacular idea for a story, your entire life gets wrapped up in it. You pour yourself into character backgrounds, outlines and blind writing. You spend sleepless nights on the computer, trying to find the right words to do your story justice.
But as weeks go by, you might realize how hard writing a book truly is. You could get lost in your world and not be able to find your way out. Disorganization, a lack of motivation, and fear of not being good enough could settle in. And, if you're like me, you might get the occasional dose of writers block that makes things all the more difficult.
This is when you keep going.
Don't latch onto another idea, and don't give up.
Ask yourself, why were you so excited about this idea in the first place? Is it worth it? Most of the time, the answer is yes. Passion is always worth it, and your hard work will pay off - whether it's in success or in helping you learn to be better at your craft.
Find your why, and remind yourself every day. Is it that you want to inspire people with a message? Is it that your story holds a special place in your heart and deserves to be told? Is it that you want to enrapture someone in a world and foster a love for reading and imagination?
Find your why and remind yourself of it every day. That will bring the purpose and passion back into your manuscript.
Once you find that passion, follow these tips below to help you finish that draft.
1.) Write something new everyday.
2.) Have goals. My goal near the end of my writing process was to write 1000 words a day, and I finished the entire second half of my book in under a month. Word count goals or writing time goals are both good options for challenging yourself and getting shiz done.
3.) Write now, not later. Later doesn't exist.
4.) Don't edit. It took me four months to write my first draft, and it would've taken a lot less time if I'd refrained from editing earlier chapters. Just get all the words out, you can fix it later.
5.) Don't start on something new until you've finished the draft.
6.) Smile, you're doing something you love. Don't look at your work like a chore - think of your writing as a magical teleportation to another world. It's your own personal vacation!
7.) And finally, friends, drink coffee. Lots of it.
And there you have it, friends. How I completed my manuscript, and how you can, too!
Believe in yourself, oh writerly folk. You carry worlds within you and I can't wait to see them one day!